About half of UT student tour guides on strike over ‘The Eyes of Texas’ controversy: report

Dozens of University of Texas at Austin (UT) student tour guides are refusing to work amid demands that the school remove a plaque that bears the lyrics of the controversial song “The Eyes of Texas,” The Texas Tribune reported Tuesday.

The strike is also in protest against a recent ruling handed down by UT that the school’s marching band must keep playing the alma mater. Objections have been mounting over the fight song, which critics say has a racist history.

The plaque in question hangs in the university’s Admissions Welcome Center, where it’s visible to prospective Longhorns. A group consisting of dozens of students, estimated to be more than half of the campus tour guides, is petitioning the school to remove the plaque to create a more welcome environment for all potential students.

On April 9, a group of tour guides sent a letter to the administration demanding that a plan for the plaque’s removal be formulated by May 1 or they would stop giving tours. Admissions officers in response said in an April 29 email they would not commit to a plan for its removal.

“We understand you may no longer desire to serve in this role based on your feelings about the University’s long-standing school song. If you no longer wish to serve as a Texas Tour Guide, please inform your supervisor so that your request can be processed,” wrote Miguel Wasielewski, director of admissions, according to the Tribune.

Wasielewski did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.

“The Eyes of Texas” stems from a minstrel show where students likely wore blackface during a time when Black students were not permitted on campus, according to a report commissioned by University President Jay Hartzell in 2020. The report also says, however, that the song itself has “no racist intent.”